IDG Contributor Network: Letting go: trusting AI to do its thing while humans do theirs

Not even a year ago, businesses across industries were still fairly united in their skepticism of artificial intelligence. It took Salesforce for them to really take note of and accept that AI was not only officially here, but here to stay.

Businesses that have since adopted AI quickly realized that part of the unwritten contract is surrendering control of data-related tasks and decision-making to a machine—either at the tactical or entire process level. They’re also learning to let go of their need to interpret and act on data insights. As a result, the decisions they’re making post-AI adoption are drastically different in nature than the ones they were making pre-AI. But somewhere in between AI adoption and full AI integration, these companies are having to cope with their fear of relinquishing control to a machine.

This fear has been here since day one, but as businesses become more educated about how AI works, the “letting go” narrative is now more prolific than ever—even among those who are already using AI to unprecedented success.

The fact of the matter is that humans, by our very nature, want to be in control. I’m sure there’s some Darwinian self-preservationist reasoning behind our need to carefully choreograph the elements around us; something to do with eliminating threat and carrying on as a species. But when it comes to surrendering control to AI—specifically as it relates to machines that automate overwhelmingly complex, data-oriented business processes—it’s likely that our ability to surrender control will influence our ongoing success, rather than prevent it.

from AI and humans working together, than either one working independently. When it comes to data gathering, analysis and insights, man trying to keep up with robots is a losing proposition. Man can attempt to become robot, or robot can be forced to adopt the unique characteristics of man: creativity, reasoning, emotion and intuition. But the better approach is for them to work together and produce the best outcome possible as a result.